Response to climate change
- Did you know more than 185 countries have committed to do everything possible to stop the global average temperatures from rising by more than 2°C above preindustrial levels – that is, the time around 1800, before factories and other big industries.
- In addition, all the United Nations member Countries adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. SDG 13 calls for urgent action by all countries to address climate change and its impacts.
- All the actions are either focused on mitigation or adaptation to climate change.
- Climate change mitigation is focused on reducing the impacts of climate change by reducing the emissions of the greenhouse gases that are responsible for climate change.
- Climate Adaptation is focused on adjusting to the current and potential climate change impacts and thus making them less severe when they occur.
- An example of adaptation is introducing climate resilient cropping and livestock species to help farmers survive the changing climate.
- Another climate change adaptation is promoting rainwater harvesting during the rainy season to increase water access even when droughts come.
- To adapt to floods in an area, a simple action such as improving drainage networks and making homes and facilities flood proof is adaptation.
- Understanding how climate change impacts you, your communities and the critical facilities can help plan adaptation activities and reduce the impacts of climate change.
- Climate change and Disaster Risk assessment tools, such as the Children’s Climate and Disaster Risk Model for Kenya, help to track community evidence and help decision-makers to better plan how to adapt and build resilience.
- As climate change often impacts rural and urban communities in different ways, climate action plans should also be targeted and more inclusive.